Danielle Allen

South Lake Tahoe was deemed the destination for our first official Sushi Adventures restaurant. We did a bit of previous research and found there are surprisingly quite a few places to choose from.

On the drive around Rubicon Bay and Emerald Bay, we talked about which location, and ultimately decided to just drive through town and stop at the most appealing- brilliant, eh! Passed one, didn't look all that hot. Drove by another, which was a maybe. Then a third that was a quick no by name alone which is silly because we will go there at some point anyway. We arrived at a spot close to state line and it was packed! People were milling around outside, no open parking spaces, and from a peek in the window, not single seat open. Obviously this is a happenin' place, but we were looking for something a little more low-key (oh how we did enjoy Tien Hu).

A quick turnaround headed us back to the "maybe" which defaulted to the "yes" and we made our way into Off The Hook, located at 2660 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, Ca. This being a Friday night, they were pretty busy also, but not quite as much as the one previous. Low-key & intimate wasn't going to happen this time. Practically dying to eat now, we skipped our preference for a quiet little table in the corner and clambered up to the bar.

Dining started off with a bowl of steamed and salted edamame, or soybeans in the shell. Cooked to perfection, I munched away while perusing the menu. Bill was set right away- he had a craving for smoked salmon in need of satisfying and ordered the Philly roll, accompanied by the Spider roll and a pseudo-replacement for my avocado roll, the avocado-cucumber (he's so sweet, always thinking of me!). The Philly was delish as always, and you can never go wrong with the tempura soft shell crab in the Spider.

After working our way through these, I decided on the tried-and-true Rainbow roll- I always love the look of this one. Eager to try Off The Hook's version, we snagged a couple pieces before I could take a proper picture.

The great finale was their unique Fire In The Sky- with spicy tuna, avocado and cream cheese topped with tsume, bonsai, and siracha sauces (straight from the menu). Not only does this roll look amazing, but it was equally as tasty- certainly my favorite of the night.

Throughout our dining, we were very well cared for. It seemed like we were waited on by any and every staff member that walked by us. Our chef took great pride in his work. Each roll was crafted well, every piece survived wasabi-dipping intact, and the presentation was very impressive. We left the restaurant satisfied and stuffed.

We gave this place a rating of 4.5 out of 5, citing that some of the veggie ingredients were less flavorful than they could have been, perhaps simply picked or used before fully ripened. Prices were reasonable, most rolls were under $10. Overall, Off The Hook definitely lives up to their name!

Sushi Adventures Prologue

This is the first blog of my first series of my Tahoe Adventures. This is an idea sparked by the statement, "Find something you like to do." Props Paul!

I like to eat. Actually, I love to eat. Mm, sushi! Bill (S.O.) and I used to go on Sushi Adventures (a spinoff of the Chai Adventures, which is a story for another time) in Salt Lake City, Ut. We intended to visit every sushi restaurant in the Salt Lake valley, but moved to Lake Tahoe before we could accomplish it- mainly because we found one we loved and got hooked (haha!). Thus our Sushi Adventures are to be resumed in the Tahoe-Truckee area.

I start this series with a shout-out to the Chinese restaurant, Tien Hu, in the Safeway shopping center in Tahoe City, Ca. They no longer serve sushi, but it was good while it lasted. Our favorites were the shrimp tempura roll, rainbow roll, and avocado roll.

The avocado roll I always considered a "dessert roll" as it was sweet from the fruit, complemented well by the seasoned rice. It was a simple, singular taste leaving the palette with a suprisingly light finish, rather than the heavy complexity of other rolls- a perfect finale to a delicious meal.

It's not just the sushi that made this our favorite haunt. The family staff is always very kind and fun to chat with. Add to that your own secluded booth to dine in and it's a simple romantic dining experience.

This is the prologue to a 15-series blog on Tahoe-Truckee area sushi restaurants. I hope you enjoy this as much as I will.

Bring on the Wasabi!!